Planoorapii co



c. w. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR SAFETY DEV!CE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-21, 1911.

Patented July 15, 1919.

4; SHEETS--SHEET THE COLUMBIA PLANDHRAPI! (20., WASHINGTON,

c. w. WHEELER. AUTOMATIOELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-21.1917.

'1 ,3 1 0,224. Patented July 15, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. C.

C. W. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21,1911

Patented July 15, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Wiiweme 6',

C. W. WHEELER.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE. APPLICATION Fl LED APR. 21. 1912.

1,310,224. Patented July 15, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

I WIT{SSES: I l I g %IV;'IIVTZR. y /K Wilma;

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0. WASHINGTON. D. c.

nrrnn sans PATN PC I .CLARENQE W. WHEELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed April 21, 1917. Serial No. 163,627.

siding at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Elevator Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety devices for elevators generally, but particularly to safety devices for elevators with steel guides; and has for its objects the production of anautomatic elevator safety that is relatively easy to install and adjust and that, when in operation, will grip the guides with equal force. a

I attain these objects by a mechanism illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view from be neath the floor of an elevator cage and that part of the safety device which is mounted thereon; Fig.2 is an elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlargement of a portion of the transmission sheave and shaft or screw (the former in section), and of an elevation of the device for preventing said shaft or screw from turning under certain conditions; Fig.4: is a side elevation of said anti-turning device, showing said shaft or screw in cross-section; Fig. 5 is an end or side elevationof the elevator cage,showing part of the transmission cable in diagram; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the arrangement of the governor and tension sheaves and the transmission cable in relation to the transmission sheave and idler on the cage; Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the governor with part of its frame broken away; and Fig. 8 is a view of the governor from beneath The same reference characters refer to the same or corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to said figures, A is the floor of an ordinary elevator cage or car; B B are the guides rigidly mounted on opposite walls or sides of the elevator hatchway; b b are the guide shoes sliding on the guides, and pivotally mounted on the cage or car by means of the brackets 0 0. Supporting the floor of the cage or car is a pair of channel beams C C, which, together with the angleirons or frames D D, connecting same with the cage standards or uprights 0! cl, and the frame J, constitute the general frame-work of the device. At each end of this frame,

and pivotally mounted in said angle-irons by means of the pivots e e, is a pair of grip-jaws, mandibles or dogs E E, operating on the principle of levers of the first class, their weight or efliciency arms or ends being loosely disposed on either side of the guides B B. Slidably mounted between anti-friction rollers F F at the extremities of the opposite or power arms of said jaws are the channeled wedges G on the outer ends of rollers being held in close contact with said wedges by means of the bolts and springs I I. Midway between the angle-irons or frames D D, and between the channel beams C C and firmly and rigidly attached thereto, is the auxiliary mounting frame J; and mounted therein, and slidable through a relatively short amplitude in the directions of said jaws E E, is the bearing K, while pivotally mounted therein and on this bear- G, adj ustably mounted ing by means of the pivot 70, is the transmisslon lever L, which, in turn, is pivotally connected at equal distances from said bearing with the inner ends of the links H H by means of the pivots h h, The free end of this lever L extends loosely through and beyond one of the channel beams C, and is pivotally and slidably connected by means of the pivots or lugs 07, n, with the transmission nut N, mounted on and cooperating, by means of threads, with the transmission shaft 0.

In order to avoid difiiculties of precise adjustment, which might otherwise arise, the transmission shaft 0, is pivotally and slida'bly anchored to the floor of the cage or car by means of the ball-and-socket bearing 1?; while its opposite end is pivotally and slidably mounted in the hub of the transmission sheave R, which, in turn, is pivotally mounted in the pillow-blockM. On the extremity of this end'of the transmission shaft 0, and within the hollow of said hub, but without touching it, there is rigidly mounted by meansof the projectingstop-pins Q the high-pitched, double-threaded acceleration. head Q, the same cooperating with the trans mission sheave R, by means of the threads thereon and the inner ends of the nut-bound screws S S, to draw the transmission shaft 0, farther into the hub of the transmission sheave R,when the latter is turned thereon in clockwise direction, the threads being right-handed. To keep said transmission the links H H, the said shaft O, from turning while the sheave R, is being thus turned thereon, and the shaft 0, is being thus drawn farther into said hub, a

' key T, is partially embedded longitudinally in said shaft 0, about midway the length thereof, and a bracket U, with its free end curved so as to partially embrace but not touch the shaft 0, is rigidly and firmly attached, in a corresponding position, to the near channel beam C; and mounted in the extremity of this bracket is a hinged, springstressed trigger V, so constructed and disposed that its bit will engage said key and prevent the shaft 0, from turning while the sheave R, is being turned thereon, and the said shaft is being drawn thereinto the distance between the pins 9 9; but slip over it when said sheave or shaft or both are turned in the opposite direction,

Mounted on a suitable and rigid bracket at the top of the cage or car, and at such an angle as to permit the transmission cable X, to operate freely of the transmission sheave R, is the idler W to participate in reeving the transmission cable X, around the transmission sheave R; while at the bottom of the hatchway, in an approximate vertical line therewith, and slidable vertically in its frame, there is mounted a standard weighted tension sheave Y; and at the top of the hatchway, and also in an approximate vertical line with said idler, there is mounted a governor sheave Z, designed and equipped with a device to jam and hold the transmission cable from further reeving therearound when the car descends too rapidly, as generally shown in diagram in Figs. 5 and 6.

This governor (Figs. 7 and 8) consists of a frame 1, a sheave 2, mounted therein by means of the pivot 3, the latter also pivotally mounting the equalizer i, and the shackle 5, but independently of said sheave and of each other. On one side of said sheave, and mounted at one end on the pivots 6 6, be-

tween the stops 7 and 8, are the pawls 9 9,

their free ends being loosely and adjustably connected with the ends of the equalizer 4;, by means of the links 10 10, the bits of said pawls being held within the circumference of said sheave by means of the spring 11. At the bottom of said shackle 5, and rigidly incorporated therewith, its upper portion being loosely disposed within the groove of said sheave, but without touching it, is the shoe 12, having its lower surface or sole grooved to correspond generally with the contour of the transmission cable X. At one end of the frame 1, opposite the grooves of said sheave and shoe, and so disposed that the transmission cable X, will run between it and the toe of said shoe, but normally without touching either, is the springstressed shock-absorber 13; while at the bottom, and near the middle of the frame, is the cross-piece 14:, for the purpose of stopping and holding the shackle and shoe in ready position, and incidentally to give strength to the frame.

It will be observed that, so long as the sheave 2, revolves at a normal rate of speed or slower, the spring 10, being adjusted to such speed, the bits of the pawls 9 9, will remain within the circumference of the sheave; but that, as soon as it revolves faster, the centrifugal force of the rotation of the sheave will throw the bits of the pawls 9 9, outward and against the stops, and one of said pawls will impinge against the posterior edge of the shoe-shackle 5, and force it forward, carrying the toe and sole of the shoe 12, against the transmission cable X, and jamming it against the shock-absorber 13, and, together with the latter, firmly hold in it.

%he ensemble of the device is so adjusted that the sheaves of the tension and governor Y and Z will turn relatively easier than the transmission and idler sheaves R and W; and since this is so, it will be observed that, so long as the cage or car descends at normal speed, the transmission cable X, will reeve only around the sheaves of the tension and governor Y and Z, and that, under these conditions, the idler W, and the transmission sheave R, will remain stationary; but that, if, for any reason, the cage or car should descend at a speed in eX- cess of the maximum normal, thus causing the shoe of the governor to jam and hold the transmission cable, the latter will immediately begin to reeve around the idler W, and the transmission sheave "R, and turn them, under the conditions shown, in a clockwise direction. The first and immediate effect of this operation will be to draw the transmission shaft O, into the hub of the transmission sheave R, until the inner stop-pin g, impinges against the inner ends of the nut-bound screws S S, and the key T, passes the bit of the trigger V, and to do it quickly, thus quickly setting the dogs or jaws E E, upon the guides B B, via the shaft 0, the nut N, the lever L, the links H H, and the wedges G G, and their connecting pivots and bearings. Thereupon, should the cage or car continue to descend, the transmission shaft or screw 0, will begin to turn in the nut N, along with the sheave R, thus drawing said nut, together with the end of the transmission lever L, pivoted thereto, farther toward said sheave R, and drawing the wedges G G, via the above named parts, connections and bearings, farther in between the rollers F, in the ends of the power arms of the jaws E E, thus causing them to so as to slide, through a small amplitude,in the direction of either of said wedges, the force with which said jaws will clamp. the guides B B, will be exactly equal.

In order to release the car or cage after the break, or other disorder that caused the same to descend at a dangerous speed, has been repaired, a pinion 10, provided with a cross handle-bar r, is inserted through an opening in the floor of the car, lined with a floor-plate f, so as to serve as a bearing for the shank s, of said pinion, and is put into gear with the pinion p, on the hub of the sheave R, and is then turned clockwise, or so as to unscrew the transmission shaft 0, and until the device is again in set position. This same thing can be done if desired by simply pulling the transmission cable X, so as to turn the sheave R, in an anticlockwise direction, or so as to unscrew the shaft 0. In order to prevent the trigger Vt from interfering with this process, the end of its bit is inclined at such an angle as to cause it to slip over the key T, when same comes into contact therewith, while the shaft 0, is being turned in an anticlockwise direction.

Modifications and variations can, of course, be resorted to and cultivated, such, for example, as a flat spring to impel the trigger V, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, instead of a coil-spring, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4; but in so far as they shall not de part materially from the scope and spirit of this invention, they are included therein.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim anddesire protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with an elevatorcar and its guides, a frame-on the car, a pair of jaws in the frame adapted to clamp the guides, a pair of wedges adapted to operate the jaws, a lever to operate the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperate with the-lever and screw, a sheave to operate the screw, a cable to operate the sheave, an idler to aid in operating the cable, a tension sheave to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, and a governor to aid in operating the cable and to jam it and cause it to operate the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

2. In combination with an elevator-car and its guides, a frame on the car, a pair of jaws in the frame, a pair of wedges to operate the jaws, a lever to operate thewedges, a pair of links to connect the wedges with the lever, a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperatewith the lever and the screw, a sheave to operate the screw, a cable to-operate the sheave, an idler to aid in operating the cable, a tension-sheave to aid in operating the cable and keep ittaut, and a governor to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it to operate the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

8. In combination with an elevator-car and its guides, a frame on the car, a pair of jaws in the frame, a pair of wedges to operate the jaws, a lever to operate the wedges, a pair of links to connect the wedges with the lever, a slidable bearing in the frame to mount the lever at its fulcrum and equalize the tension on the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperate with the lever and screw, a sheave to operate the screw, a cable to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in operating the cable, a bracket to mount the idler, a tensionsheave at the bottom of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, and a governor at the top of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it. to operate the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

4. In combination with an elevator-car and its guides, 21. frame on the car, a pair of hinged jaws in the frame operating on the principle of levers of the first class and adapted to clamp the guides, a pair of wedges between the extremities of the power arms of the jaws and adapted to spread them and set the jaws upon the guides, a double-acting lever of the first and second class and adapted to operate the wedges, a

pair of adjustable links adapted pivotally to connect the lever with the wedges, a slidable bearing in the frame adapted pivotally to mount the lever midway between the points of connection with the wedges and equalize the tension thereon,.a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperate with the lever and screw, a sheave to operate the screw, a cable in the hatchway to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in reeving the cable around the sheave, a bracket to mount the idler, a tension-sheave at the bottom of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, and a governor at the top of thehatchway to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it to reeve around the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

5. In combination with an elevator-car and its guides, a frame on the car, a pair of hinged jaws pivotally mounted at the ends of the frame and adapted to clamp the guides, a pair of bolts and springs adapted to stress the jaws of the guides when running normally, a pair of wedges between the extremities of the power arms of the jaws and adapted to set the jaws upon the guides, antifrictionrollers pivotally mount ed at the ends of the power arms of the jaws to cooperate with the wedges, a double-acting lever of the first and second class adapted to operate the wedges, a pair of adjustable links adapted pivotally to connect the lever with the wedges, a slidable bearing in the frame adapted to mount the lever and equalize its tension on the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a lugged nut toconnect and cooperate with the lever and the screw, a sheave to operate the screw, a cable in the hatchway to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in operating the cable, a bracket to mount the idler, a tension-sheave at the bottom of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, and a governor at the top of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it to operate the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

6. In combination with an elevatoncar and its hatchway guides, a frame on the car, a pair of jaws in the frame adapted to clamp the guides, a pair of wedges to operate the jaws, a lever in the frame to operate the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperate with the lever and the screw, a double-threaded head at the end A of the screw to accelerate its initial action, a hubbed sheave on the screw to mount and operate it and cooperate with the doublethreaded head, a pillow-block to mount the hubbed sheave on the car, a spring-stressed catch opposite the screw to engage and hold it stationary during the acceleration, a bracket to mount the catch, a cable in the hatchway to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in operating the cable, a bracket to mount the idler, a tension-sheave at the bottom of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, and a governor at the top of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it to operate the hubbed sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

7. In combination with an elevator-car and its hatchway guides, a frame on the car, a pair of jaws in the frame adapted to clamp the guides, a pair of wedges to operate the jaws, a lever in the frame to operate the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperate with the lever and the screw, a high-pitched double-threaded head at the end of the screw to accelerate its initial action, a hubbed sheave on the screw to mount and operate it and cooperate with said head, a pillow-block to mount the hubbed sheave on the car, a spring-stressed catch opposite the screw to engage and hold it during the acceleration, a bracket to mount the catch, a cable in the hatchway to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in operating the cable, a bracket to mount the idler, a tension-sheave at the bottom of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, and a governor at the top of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause the cable to operate the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal.

8. In combination with an elevator-car and its hatchway guides, a frame on the car, a pair of hinged and spring-stressed jaws pivotally mounted at the ends of the frame and adapted to engage and clamp the guides, a pair of wedges adjustably mounted between the power arms of the jaws and adapted to set them upon the-guides, antifriction rollers at the extremities of the power arms to facilitate the action ofthe wedges, a double-acting lever in the frame to operate the wedges, a pair of adjustable links adapted pivotally to connect the lever. with the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a nut to connect and cooperate with the lever and screw, a double-threaded head on one end of the screw to accelerate its initial action, a hubbed sheave at the same end of the screw to mount and operate it, a pillow-block to mount the sheave on the car, a pair of nutbound pins in the walls of the hub to cooperate with the threads of said head, a pinion on the hub to cooperate with a handpinion for releasing the screw, a ball-andsocket bearing adapted pivotally and slidably to mount the other end of the screw and obviate precise adjustment, a spring-stressed catch opposite the shank of the screw to en gage and keep it from turning during the acceleration, a bracket to mount the catch, a key embedded in the shank to insure the engagement, a cab-1e inthe hatchway to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in operating the cable, a bracket to mount the idler, a tension-sheave at the bottom of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, a governor at thetop of the hatchway to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it to reeve around the sheave when the car descends at a speed above normal, and an auxiliary key pinion to cooperate with the pinion on the hub to release the device after its operation.

9. In combination with an elevator-car andits hatchway guides, a frame on the car, a pair of hinged and spring-stressed jaws pivotally mounted in the frame and adapted to engage and clamp the guides, a pair of adjustable wedges to operate the jaws, a double-acting lever of the first and second class to operate thewedges, a pair of adjustable links adapted pivotally to connect the wedges with the lever, a slidable bearing in the frame adapted to mount the lever and equalize its tension on the wedges, a screw to operate the lever, a lugged nut to connect and cooperate with the lever and screw, a high-pitched double-threaded head at one end of the screw to accelerate its initial action, a hubbed sheave at the same end of the screw tomount and operate it, a pair of nutbound pins in the walls of the hub to cooperate with the threads of said head, a pillow-block to mount the hubbed sheave on the car, a pinion on the hub to aid in releasing the screw, a ball-and-socket bearing adapted pivotally and slidablv to mount the other end of the screw on the car and obviate precise adjustment, a spring-stressed catch opposite the shank of the screw to engage and keepit from turning during the acceleration, a key embedded in the shank of the screw to insure the engagement, a bracket to mount the catch, a cable in the hatch- Way to operate the sheave, an idler on the car to aid in operating the cable, a bracket to mount the idler, a tension-sheave at the bottom of the hatchvvay to aid in operating the cable and keep it taut, a governor at the top of the hatchWay to aid in operating the cable and to jam and cause it to reeve around the sheave When the car descends at a speed above normal, and an auxiliary hand-pinion to cooperate With the pinion on the hub to release the device after its operation.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois.

CLARENCE W. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

MINA CAMPBELL, FREDERICK A. F REEART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

